Where's the bar? Perceptions of heavy and problem drinking among college students.

ABSTRACT

Two-hundred-and-twelve college students read a vignette about a 21-year-old male described as a college student or a retail management trainee drinking at a bar alone or with friends. Participants provided estimates of the number of drinks that indicate heavy drinking in this situation. Participants also provided estimates of the number of drinks and drinking occasions they thought would signify a drinking problem for the target. Estimates of the number of drinks representing heavy drinking were significantly higher than the current five drink binge/episodic heavy drinking definition in the literature. Occupational status of the target and participant gender effected perceptions of heavy drinking and problem drinking. Implications for prevention and health education efforts are discussed.

Keywords: heavy drinking, problem drinking, perceptions, alcohol

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Approximately, 90% of college students report drinking at least once per year; and, while use is common, so too is abuse (Shirachi & Sirrison, 2006). College students' drinking behaviors differ from those of their non-college attending peers. Full-time college students consume more alcohol than those not enrolled in college full-time (O'Malley & Johnson, 2002; SAMHSA, 2002) and have more frequent heavy drinking episodes than their non-college attending peers (NIAAA, 2002). Although colleges continually attempt to reduce problem drinking on campus, binge drinking rates have remained fairly constant (Crawford & Novak, 2007).

Disagreement exists among researchers about how to define various levels of drinking. Wechsler and Nelson (2001) have advocated using the term "binge" to identify drinking that involves five or more drinks in a drinking episode for men, four for women. This use of the term "binge" has been fervently debated (see DeJong, 2001) with the controversy surrounding this definition sometimes reflected in editorial policy. The Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs requires authors to use the phrase, "heavy episodic drinking" to refer to 5/4 drinks and relegates the "binge" term for drinking that involves continued intoxication over a period of at least two days and the simultaneous neglect of other activities (Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs: "Guidance for authors on the policy of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol regarding the appropriate use of the term 'binge'").

Much of the controversy over the 5/4 binge definition comes from dispute about its relevance for college students. Lange and Voas (2001) assert that the 5/4 definition of binge drinking does not, in fact, relate well to BAC levels or to what constitutes "excessive drunkenness." Furthermore, Goodhart, Lederman, Stewart, and Laitman (2003) contend that the current binge definition of 5/4 drinks is not appropriate for describing college student drinking, in part because students do not see this type of drinking as problematic and will consequently disregard prevention messages employing this standard.